Chaff dispenser



Nov. 11, 1958 F. M. JOHNSON CHAFF DISPENSER Filed July 20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Pei/V675 N. (/df/ASOA/ M M 77702! Y5 F. MTJOHNSON -Nov.-1'l, 1958 CHAFF DISPENSER 7 Filed July 20, 1 956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Nov. 11, 1958 JOHNSON I 2,859,896

CHAFF DISPENSER Filed July 20, 1956 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I sz :3

TT r' c 2,859,896 1C6 Patented Nov. 11, 1 95s 1 2,859,896 CHAFF DISPENSER Francis M. Johnson, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Application July 20, 1956, Serial No. 599,280 4 Claims. (Cl. 221-112) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1.952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a chaff dispenser and, more particularly, to a chaff dispenser wherein the dispensing mechanism is adapted to be associated with a plurality of chaff holding containers.

Radar deception missions in aircraft consume large quantities of chaff. Because of the large amount of chaff carried on these missions, reloading conventional chaff dispensers after a mission is time consuming. It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to design a chaff dispenser in which the dispensing mechanism can be used interchangeably with a plurality of preloaded chaff containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a chaff holding container which is easy to load.

Still another object of this invention is to design a chaff dispensing mechanism adapted to rest on a stack of boxes of chaff in a chaff holding container while the boxes of chaff in the container are being dispensed.

Yet another object of this invention is to design a chaff dispensing apparatus that is simple to construct, economical to manufacture, and durable.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent when read in the light of the accompanying drawings and the specification wherein:

Fig. l is a top view of the chaff dispenser and chaff container constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the chaff dispenser and container, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the chaff discharge end portion of the chaff dispenser and container, showing a box of chaff being ejected from the chaff container through an opening in an end wall.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the other end portion of the chaff dispenser, showing how the flexible venetian blind type end walls ride in guide posts in the dispenser.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a chaff dispenser indicated generally at 10, comprises a dispensing mechanism 12 and a chaff holding container 14. The chaff holding container 14 is channel or U-shaped in cross section, see Fig. 2, and includes opposed side walls 16 and a web or base portion 18. The web is rectangular in shape and in each corner is an upstanding channel-shaped guide post 20, see Fig. 1. These guide posts 20 are integrally secured by any means to the end edges of side walls 16. The ends of the container 14 are left open so the container can be easily and conveniently loaded with stacked boxes of chaff from either end.

The dispensing mechanism 12 includes a channelshaped or inverted U-shaped support plate 22 having a 'base or web portion 24, depending side flanges 26, see Fig. 2, and integrally opposed guide flanges 28 and 30 on the ends of the support plate, see Figs. 4 and 5. Guide flanges 28 and 30 have integral guide portions 32 which ride in guide slots 34 in the guide-posts 20. A power source, which ,in the embodiment disclosed in Fig. .1,..-consists oftwo electric motors 36, is mounted on 2 the top of the support plate 22 and drives sprocket wheels 38. Sprocket wheels 38 are connected by chains 40 to sprocket wheels 42 which are positioned onthe outside of flanges 26 and are rigidly mounted on shafts 43. These shafts are rotatably journaled in one end of the side flanges 26, see Fig. 3. A sprocket wheel 44, which is also rigidly mounted on shaft 43, is positioned on the inner side of flange 26. On the opposite edge of the inner sides of flanges 26 sprocket wheels 46 are freely rotatably mounted. Chains 48 connect sprocket wheels 44 and 46 together, so that when the electric motors are actuated each chain 48 adjacent the inner side of flange 26 moves along its orbit.-

Shafts 63 extend between and are connected to chains 48, as seen in Fig. 2. Push members 70 are rotatably mounted on these shafts for purposes to be described below. In the embodiment disclosed in the drawings there are two push members and they are positioned out of phase in the orbit of the chains 48, see Fig. 3.

As seen'in Figs. 4 and 5, flexible end walls 50 and 53 are pivotally suspended from the guide flanges 2 8 and 30. These end walls, see Fig. 3, prevent the boxes .of chaff from falling out the open ends of the container 14 after the container is loaded. This feature is very important since these dispensing units are designed to be mounted on aircraft which are subject to intense vibration and erratic maneuvering. End wall 50 has another important function, that of positioning the boxes of chaff in the container for purposes to be described below.

In this embodiment, end wall 50 comprises a plurality of arcuate slats 52. Each slat has upstanding flange portions 54 at each end which are disposed at one edge of the slat and depending flanges 58 at the opposite edges of the slat, see Fig. 5. A pivot and guide pin 56 extends through flanges 54 on one slat and flange portion 58 on the next adjacent slat, so that the slats are pivotally connected together. The ends of the pivot pins 56 ride in the guide slots 34 in guide posts 20, This holds the end wall and the boxes of chaff in their proper stacked position. The longitudinal curve in each slat in end wall 50 as seen in Fig. 3, acts to position the boxes of chaff in the container at a predetermined distance from flange 28 so the dispensing mechanism can function, as is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3.

End wall 53 is similar to end wall 50 with the' exception that the slats are planar, not arcuate, in cross section and top slat 60, in cooperation with flange 30, present complemental recess portions to provide an aperture 62 for the discharge of chaff boxes 61, see Fig. .4.

The container 14 includes an intermediate base member 64, parallel to base 18, to provide a space 66 adapted to receive the flexible end walls 51) and 53 as the dispensing mechanism 12 moves downwardly in the container 14. This is very important because it makes possible a compact chaff dispenser and also helps safeguard the relatively delicate portions of the flexible end walls from injury.

In operation, container 14 is loaded with boxes of chaff from either end while the dispensing mechanism 12 is elevated or removed. Then the dispensing system is mounted or lowered to rest on the stacked chaff boxes with the guide members 32 on the support plate 22, and guide pins 56 on the depending flexible end walls, riding in the guide ways 34 in guide posts 20. In this position push members 70 rotatably engage the material in the container and bear the weight of the dispensing mechanism. It is noted that to permit this, the dispensing mechanism must be able to rock slightly on the top surface of the boxes of chaff, see Fig. 3. 3

adjacent layer. down and around sprocket wheel 44, the support plate lng mechanism, the other push member also rolling on that layer and supporting the dispensing mechanism i -pushlng against the end of the top chaff layer and forcing j the boxes of chafi in that layer through the aperture 62 'and out of the container 14. When one push member reaches the end of its orbit after ejecting all the boxes of chaff 1n the top layer, the other or left push member,

ias seen in Fig. 3, after rolling over the top surface of the 'next layer to be dispensed has reached the opposite end of the orbit. Then this push member moves around the periphery of sprocket wheel 44 into engagement with the end of the next top layer.

In the process of moving around the perlphery of sprocket wheel 44, push member 70 moving downwardly and to the right engages the upper left corner of the new top layer of chaff boxes forcing them slightly to the right. This produces a slight ledge between the left end of the top layer and the next As push member 70 continues to move 22 no longer supported by push member 70 drops slightly. The size and disposition of the sprocket wheel 44 and push member 70 with respect to support plate 22 are designed so when the support plate 22 drops, the push member 70 will engage the ledge. In so doing it bears against the end of the top layer of the chafl boxes and rides on the next adjacent layer. Further movement of push member 70 along the orbit of the chains forces boxes of chaif in the top layer out of the dispenser.

End wall 50, by means of the arcuate shape of the slats '52, keeps'the boxes of chaff spaced far enough away from the flange 28 so that the push member 70 can move in between the end of the next layer to be dispensed and the flange. As the boxes of chaff are continually ejected, the

dispensing mechanism gradually moves down into the container. While this is happening, end walls 50 and 53, by means of their flexibility and deflecting guide plate 72, see Fig. 3, move into the space 66. This operation continues until the supply of boxes of chaff is exhausted. This feature is important because it makes possible a more fcompact chafi dispensing unit.

Obviously, many variations and modifications of the present invention may be made in the light of the above teachings and scope of the appended claims. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

, 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a con- ;tainer having opposed open ends adapted to receive material to be dispensed, guide ways on said container, a dispensing mechanism positioned to rest on the material to be dispensed, portions of said dispensing mechanism riding in said guide ways, flexible end walls movably mounted in said container and having portions riding in vsaid guide ways, said flexible end walls adapted to close ofl said open ends of the container to retain the material in the container, spacing means on at least one of said flexible end walls to position the material in said container, said end walls engaging said dispensing mechanism and adapted to move with it as it gravitates downwardly in the container as the material is being dispensed, said container having a space adapted to receive said flexible end walls, means in said container to cause said flexible end walls to enter said space as the ends walls and the dispensing mechanism gravitate downwardly in the container.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a container having opposed open ends adapted to receive material to be dispensed, guide ways on said container, a dispensing mechanism positioned to rest on material to be dispensed, portions of said dispensing mechanism riding in said guide ways, flexible end walls movably mounted on said container and having portions riding in said guide ways, said flexible end walls adapted to close 01f said open ends of the container to retain the material in the container, at least one of said end Walls comprising a plurality of parallel arcuate slats pivotally connected to each other, said slats positioned to keep the material being dispensed away from the Walls of the container to permit the dispensing mechanism to function, said end Walls engaging said mechanism and adapted to move with it as it gravitates downwardly in the container while the material is being dispensed.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a channel-shaped container having opposed open ends adapted to receive material to be dispensed, upstanding guide ways on said container, a dispensing mechanism positioned to rest on the material to be dispensed, portions on said dispensing mechanism adapted to ride in said upstanding guide ways, end walls movably mounted on said container and having portions riding in said guide ways, said end walls adapted to close off the openends of the container to retain the material in the container, at least one of said end walls comprising a plurality of spaced parallel arcuate .slats pivotally connected to each other, said slats positioned function, said end walls engaging said dispensing mechanism and adapted to move with it as it gravitates downwardly in the container as the material in the container is being dispensed, said container having a space adapted to receive said flexible end walls, said space disposed in the base of said container, means in said container to cause said end walls to move into said space as they move w th the dispensing mechanism and gravitate downwardly in the container. I

4. An apparatus of the class described COInPI'lSlng in combination, a dispensing mechanism including a support plate, a vertical container adapted to be filled with horizontal layers of material to be horizontally dispensed,

therewith across the top of the material to be dispensed,

said pusher rollers disposed at the opposite ends of the orbit of the belt for rolling engagement wlth the material to be dispensed to support the dispensing mechanism on the material to be dispensed and forengagement wlth the end of the top layer of the material to dispense said layers out of the container between said vertical guide ways, wherein said container is channel shaped and has opposed open ends, flexible end walls movably mounted in said container and having portions riding on said guide ways,

said flexible end walls adapted to close off said open ends of the container to retain the material. in the container, at least one of said end walls comprising a plurality of spaced parallel arcuate slats pivotally connected to each other, said slats engaging and positioning the material in the container to permit the dispensing mechanism to function, said end walls engaging said dispensing mechanism and moving with it as it gravitates downwardly in the container as the material is being dispensed, said container having a space adapted to receive said flexible end walls, said space disposed in the base of the container, means in the container to cause the end walls to move into said space as they move with the dispensing mechanism and gravitate downwardly in the container.

Fischer Aug. 20, 1889 Van Schie June 17, 1952 

